(Courtesy of SMU Athletics)
In the NCAA it’s pretty rare to see a forward, that doesn’t hang around in the paint, shoot 48.1 percent from field goal range.
Even more unlikely is that this forward could top his field goal percentage by shooting 49.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Well, these are the numbers that Mustang senior forward Robert Nyakundi posted last season for an SMU team that won 20 games for the first time in a decade.
Nyakundi is a North Texas native. He is entering his final senior year for the Mustangs. Nyakundi majors in Applied Physiology and Sports Management.
Nyakundi made 97 three point shots total (an SMU record) and averaged 2.8 made per game, a feat that ranked second in Conference USA and 34th in the NCAA .
Nyakundi’s shooting successes come in part because of hard work.
“Always being in the gym, [taking] extra time to practice good habits, and having the confidence to know I put in the work to be a great shooter,” Nyakundi cites as reasons for his high percentage shooting.
Now, being a senior leader on the team this season, it might be even more important this year for Nyakundi’s hard work in the gym to pay off.
The Mustangs enter this season without last year’s star, Papa Dia. Dia led the team in points per game (18.3), rebounds per game (9.6), and had an impressive 78 blocks on the season.
Despite the loss of Dia, Nyakundi is still confident in his squad.
“This year, we’re a lot more versatile, we have a lot of guys that can score several points on any given day,” Nyakundi said, describing later that the team has many players that can play multiple positions.
This versatility that Nyakundi refers to could be a huge advantage for the Mustangs.
However, a versatile offense demands an experienced squad unlike SMU’s young talent this upcoming season.
Regardless of his team’s youth, Nyakundi is still confident. “Last year, we had a lot of seniors and a lot of experience,” Nyakundi said. “But I think this team can certainly step in and get over 20 wins.”
The Mustang’s 20-15 finish last season was enough to get them the seventh seed in the Conference USA tournament, but 10th seeded Rice upset SMU in the first round.
Nyakundi says performing well in conference play during the regular season is a confidence booster and stepping-stone for the team.
Nyakundi and the Mustangs are set to kick off their season against McMurry University on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
